Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Drawing a self-portrait is an existential act: We draw ourselves into existence. As we draw, we are compelled to encounter certain truths about ourselves. We identify values, revisit how our life stories and families of origin inform who we are today, and who we might become moving forward. These truths can be applied to our personal and professional lives. When self-portraiture is taught in leadership studies courses at the undergraduate level, deep self-understanding (which is essential to leading authentically) and self-compassion (which is essential to leading others) begin to manifest on physical, emotional, and intellectual/imaginal levels. For the past several years, I have embedded self-portraiture into foundational undergraduate leadership studies courses. This paper recounts undergraduates’ narratives of their experiences of drawing their “leader selves” into the world, provides photographs of drawings, and outlines how the methodology used can be adapted to other disciplines.